Refusing to Grow Old Gracefully - UK - September 2009

The growing number of over-45s represents a force to be reckoned with! Today there are 25.7 million adults aged 45+ in the UK; by 2014, there will be another 2 million.

Indulging in life’s little luxuries gets easier with age. Although the financial circumstances of the over-45s vary, many feel better off having reached a stage in their life where there are fewer calls on their disposable income.

The travel bug bites hard among today’s over-45s, who often envy the backpacking adventures of their kids. A fifth of over-45s travel more than they did 5 years ago, while just under a third of 45-54-year-olds have ambitions to take-off on a trip of a lifetime.

It’s now or never! Today’s over-45s feel they need to grab opportunities when they are offered. This is particularly the case when it comes to trying new ‘experiences’ (eg snorkelling) while on holiday.

Music concerts and festivals are a big hit with today’s music loving over-45s, one in five of whom have been to one in the past 3 years, with a further 15% wanting to go. This doesn’t only extend to acts that were popular in their youth, but also to more modern artists such as Cold Play and Take That!

The internet knows no age boundaries. Three in five over-45s are now internet users, while usage among 45-54s peaks at 81%. Internet usage among this age group will undoubtedly continue to increase, making this medium increasingly important for targeting older consumers.

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Table of contents

Issues in the Market

Future Opportunities

The travel bug

Looking for adventure

The ‘extended family’ break

Musical youthfulness

You’re never too old

House share

Moving online

Lifestyle Sector in Brief

Carrying On As Usual (40% of respondents)

How to reach them:

Life Is For Living (13% of respondents)

How to reach them:

Internet Embracers (12% of respondents)

How to reach them:

Keeping Up Appearances (16% of respondents)

How to reach them:

Chilling Out (19% of respondents)

How to reach them:

Setting the Scene: The Lives of Over-45s Today

A force to be reckoned with…

Working lives

Family lives

Life After 45: How Does It Change?

Key points

All change?

Figure 1: Change in lifestyle compared with five years – over-45s, by gender, 2009